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Shonen Jump magazine recently offered a more in-depth look at the RPG based on Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, starring a much younger (and much thinner) version of the hero's ex-bandit sidekick named Yangus, aptly but oddly entitled Dragon Quest Yangus.

First revealed visually at Jump Festa in December, the prequel - in league with Square-Enix's Mysterious Dungeon series - will fixate on the childhood adventures of Yangus and the trials which molded him into the, uh, "hero" he became. The story kicks off with Yangus insolubly appearing in an alternate world where he begins his quest through the true meat of the game - the ever-changing dungeons.

Just like the Mysterious Dungeon titles it takes after, Dragon Quest Yangus will contain ample dungeons to tackle and traverse that are generated randomly with each playthrough. That is, their regeneration would be limited as such if not for a new feature implemented within the game: To be blunt, this time around the dungeons will also regenerate with a purely chance outcome each time they're exited and then re-entered. Players will be forced to think twice before stepping outside of one; it will be as if a new dungeon took its place upon returning back inside.

Update! Dragon Quest Yangus is now scheduled to hit the PlayStation 2 in Japan on April 20th, 2006.

Screenshots

Source: RPGamer

Courtesy of an interview with EuroGamer.net, Dragon Quest (or, for those who care little about the continuity of titles, Dragon Warrior) producer Yuji Horii, like many other series heads before him - including Konami's Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima - made it evident at an event held in London last week to commemorate the launch of Square-Enix's largely successful Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King that his reaction toward the prototype controller for Nintendo's up-and-coming Revolution console could be summarized as something more than slightly thrilled, as described by the site's attending journalists.

When prompted by a question regarding the Revolution's controller, Yuji Horii divulged quite a bit of eagerness in response: "I loved the fact that it was interactive, that you do something and you get feedback." According to Horii, a novel concept behind the greatest video game would involve complete interactivity and dictate that consequences are received from the player's every action. Because of the Revolution controller's function, the interactivity isn't limited simply to the gameplay, but extends to the hardware itself. "You do something, and it reacts to you," he stated. "It's human nature that to have some feedback from your actions is rewarding."

So what does all this toying with the idea really amount to? Frankly, the details are too few to draw a solid conclusion, but not too vague to speculate. Oddly enough, the question "Are there any plans to release this title (Dragon Quest VIII) on different platforms or game consoles?" that sprung up on the event's press notes was met with a curious "TBA" (To Be Announced) printed next to it, although nothing yet is confirmed.

The highest selling series in Japan, the very last major Dragon Quest title to be released on a Nintendo console was in 1995, and it's been even less recent for gamers outside its country of origin. But whether or not it's by a gambler's chance, an emergence of the Dragon Quest series on the Revolution may very well have its potential.

Sources: CVG
EuroGamer

According to rpgfan.com, Famitsu magazine stated earlier this week that Final Fantasy XII will implement a clan system, not unlike the clan system from FF Tactics Advance. The clan system will allow the player to partake in specific quests provided by the clan and shop in clan-exclusive shops, plus possibly more unrevealed featues.

It seems unlikely to me that the clan system will feature prominently in the game's plot, as it would be make plot advancement seem somewhat awkward. I'm inclined to think that the clan system will allow the player to join one of multiple clans and have the clan serve as the means for taking part in sidequests, rather than drive the action as the clan/mission system did in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Still, love or hate this new clan system, a great deal of FF XII is a mystery as of now, so all we can do is speculate and hope that this next big title in our favorite RPG series lives up to its predecessors.

Final Fantasy XII, masterminded by Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics director Yasumi Matsuno, will be released in Japan on March 16th, 2006 and in the US on August 1st, 2006, barring future delays.

Square-Enix has announced that Nobuo Uematsu's "More Friends" concert performed at E3 earlier this year with a subsequent tour, a follow-up to his "Dear Friends" tour, will be recorded on to a CD and released in Japan. The CD will be entitled "More Friends music from FINAL FANTASY ~Los Angeles Performance 2005~." The concert was primarily orchestral-styled renditions of the classic Final Fantasy music, but it featured guest vocalists RIKKI (for FF X's Suteki Da Ne) and Emiko Shiratori (for FF IX's Melodies of Life) as well as Uematsu's rock band, The Black Mages (joining the orchestra for a rendition of the first of FF VII's final battle themes, One-Winged Angel).

Surprisingly, there is no word on a US release thus far despite the concert taking place in the US and the good reception of "Dear Friends" in the US. Future US and European releases are probable, but there's no information regarding that yet.

The track list from the concert (and presumably on the CD), is as follows: Swing De Chocobo (an arrangement of The Chocobo song by guest conductor Arnie Roth), Final Fantasy Main Theme (from multiple FF games, notably I and IV), The Rocking Grounds (IIIj), Terra's Theme (VI), Draco and Maria Overture (VI), Aria Di Mezzo Carattere (VI), Wedding Walz and Duel (VI), Bombing Mission (VII), Aerith's Theme (VII), One-Winged Angel (VII), Liberi Fatali (VIII), Maybe I'm a Lion (VIII), Melodies of Life (IX), A Place to Call Home (IX), To Zanarkand (X), and Suteki Da Ne (X).

Other songs that were confirmed to have been played during the tour but not in Los Angeles were Theme of Love (IV), Dear Friends (V), Love Grows (VIII, an instrumental rendition of "Eyes on Me"), Vamo' Alla Flamenco (IX, the Chocobo H&C song), and Ronfaure (XI). It isn't out of the question for Square-Enix to add some of these, but the fact that the CD is of the LA concert makes it unlikely.

Famitsu scans out of the latest issue of the Japanese magazine reveal some new and somewhat nostalgic information concerning the upcoming Nintendo DS RPG, Seiken Densetsu DS: Children of Mana. Reportedly, series creator Koichi Ishii has teamed up with development company Next Entertainment in an effort to produce a game very similar to the popular Super Nintendo action RPG, Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2).

First of all, the "ring command" system featured in Secret of Mana will make its return in the newest handheld installment. The system will be used via the DS's touch screen, enabling players to control the menu in a swift, easy fashion.

Perhaps the best additions - not to mention the most interesting - are the two new characters being introduced into the cast of Children of Mana, both previously from Secret of Mana. The Dwarven blacksmith who originally assisted with weapons, Watts, is now said to be a wanderer from a foreign country and apparently a noble within the world of Children of Mana. There's also Moti, the dancing shopkeeper from Secret of Mana who has somehow transformed into the elder of Illuja Island - the hometown of the latest game's heroes. Famitsu magazine has confirmed that both characters' roles will be of more importance than they were in Secret of Mana.

Seiken Densetsu DS: Children of Mana is due out in Japan this winter. Although Square-Enix has trademarked the title in the US they've yet to give any word on a North American release date.

Source: RPGamer

November 15th, 2005 almost marks a new beginning for Enix's flagship series. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King will be the first DQ game in the US to use the Japanese series name (thanks to Enix acquiring the US rights to the name in 2003), it is the first DQ game to be played in full 3D, and it has received both commercial success (3 million copies sold in its first week in Japan) and critical acclaim (a 9.0 from Gamespot and a 9.5 from 1up). American gamers can experience what is being hailed as the best game in the storied series on the PS2 starting today.

Dragon Quest VIII uses the creative talents of the series' original "big three" (Producer/Director Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball __ fame, and music composer Koichi Sugiyama) and the visual stylings of the development team Level-5 (most well-known for their Dark Cloud games) to create this PS2 RPG. You assume the role of a name-it-yourself silent protagonist who teams up with the kind-hearted former bandit Yangus, the attractive young sorceress Jessica, and the suave Templar Angelo to try and save the kingdom of Trodain from the evil jester Dhoulmagus. Dhoulmagus has used a powerful magic scepter to transform the good King Trode in to a troll, his daughter in to a horse, and every other denizen of Trodain in to thorns. Somehow, The Hero (as every principal protagonist in the DQ/DW series is called), a young guardsman of the castle, managed to be unaffected by the spell and now travels with the king and princess on a journey to undo the curse.

One thing that is particularly striking about Dragon Quest VIII is the modern visuals. The massive, immersive continuous 3D world really looks excellent. However, that's where most of the modern features end. Dragon Quest VIII uses the traditional methods of random battles, level-ups, and round-based combat that the series has used since it's beginning in 1982, but it offers a degree of customization by allowing characters to distribute Skill Points earned a level-ups to different weapon skill levels and innate skill levels. For example, Angelo learns a great deal of healing magic if you give him points in Staves, and learns offensive movies if you give him points in Swords. In any case, the game looks to be extremely old-school rpg with absolutely gorgeous, if a bit cartoonish, graphics and a world map that's a wonder to behold.

And if that isn't enough to pique your interest, keep in mind that DQ VIII contains a bonus demo for Final Fantasy XII, which you may have heard gaming sites discussing in detail recently. That will only serve as added incentive for fans of Square-Enix to purchase this new game.

So let's review: Switching to Japanese titles, hitting 3D for the first time, excellent visual presentation, commericial success, and consistent critical acclaim? Sounds like Final Fantasy VII to me. Will DQ VIII parallel FF VII's succes? Probably not, but in any case, if you've been a fan of the Dragon Quest series for awhile or at least have a fondness for old-school RPGs then this game might be worth checking out. If you want to learn more about DQ VIII, check out some of the links below.

Gamespot's review
1up's review
Square-Enix's official website
Wikipedia's DQ VIII entry